Chairman of Armenia’s Investigative Committee, Artur Poghosyan, told reporters in the National Assembly that no criminal case has been initiated based on the report concerning the alleged seizure of Hovhannavank Monastery.
“As far as I know, we received a report about a possible crime, but not from the Mother See. It came from lawyers. The report was processed in accordance with legal procedures. At this moment, no proceedings have been initiated,” Poghosyan stated, according to Sputnik Armenia.
Asked whether any action was taken regarding possible rights violations raised by lawyers and clerics after the October 15 arrest of 15 priests, Poghosyan confirmed that an internal investigation had begun.
“Since there were media reports suggesting that certain rights may have been restricted, I ordered an internal inquiry. If it turns out that any investigator committed a disciplinary offense, rest assured, they will face disciplinary action,” he said.
When asked whether investigators were instructed to intentionally disrespect clergy, for instance, by referring to them solely by name and surname without acknowledging their clerical title, Poghosyan said investigators are required to follow only official ID data. He stressed that no directive exists instructing disrespectful behavior toward clergy.
The complaint about the alleged seizure of Hovhannavank was submitted by attorney Ara Zohrabyan, who on October 23 sent three crime reports to law enforcement. One alleged that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and former priest Stepan Asatryan tried to obstruct a liturgical service scheduled on October 26, 2025, at Hovhannavank by a cleric appointed by the Armenian Apostolic Church.
